Newswise — Russian scientists analyzed the process of accumulation of heavy metals in sediments of lakes of polar and subpolar regions of the world. Researchers found out that lead and antimony are well accumulated even in lakes situated far from direct sources of pollution. For example, this happens at pristine territories of Murmansk region and Karelia. Scientists also discovered the possible pollution of lakes by heavy metals in the region of Antarctic polar stations of Russia and Uruguay. Results of the research, supported by grant of RSF, are presented in the form of oral report at the conference “XV Siberian conference and school of young scholars on climate-ecological monitoring”.
It is known that heavy metals are one of the global problems of modernity. They can spread by air over great distances from sources of pollution. Scientists call this occurrence long-range atmospheric transport. Ecologists noted increased accumulation of lead, cadmium and thallium in glaciers of Greenland, that is connected with historic influence of work of factories in South America and Europe. First of all, it happens due to coal burning, because coal contains various elements in the form of impurities.. In addition to the elements mentioned above, the pollutants also include antimony, bismuth and tin.
Scientists from Institute of the North Industrial Ecology Problems of Kola Science Center of RAS (Apatity) analyzed accumulation of heavy metals in sediments of small lakes of Arctic zone of Russian Federation and Antarctica in the area of Bellingshausen Station. Specialists found out that pristine lakes in Murmansk region have in upper layers of sediments the increased content of lead, cadmium, bismuth, antimony, tin, that come from coal burning. Besides this in these water bodies scientists found out influence of metallurgical plants, that appears in geochemical anomalies of nickel and copper. Although in tundra zone these elements accumulate only in the uppermost (0-5 cm) layers of sediments of lakes, such water objects can’t be called entirely unpolluted.
Scientists also presented the similar information about accumulation of heavy metals in lakes of North of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Here water objects are polluted only due to the work of the industrial plant in Norilsk. In remote tundra region due to climate conditions the effect of pollution from long-range atmospheric transport doesn’t appear. By this in zone of artic desert on the King George Island, where polar stations of Russia, China, Uruguay and Chili, are situated, in lakes Kitezh and Glubokoye scientists found out small increasement of concentration of lead and antinomy in upper (0-4) layers of sediments. Earlier conducted researches of Chinese geochemist showed that transfer of heavy metals through the atmosphere is the main factor of accumulation of polluters in the region of polar stations in the western part of Antarctica.
“We expect to prove precisely the fact of pollution of lakes in the region of Antarctic polar stations, including our station Bellingshausen, however, probably transfer of polluters, including heavy metals, through the atmosphere influences not only the Northern hemisphere of the Earth, but also the South one. Interestingly enough, that our researches didn’t find evidences that lakes were influenced by diesel-run power plants (DPP), that are situated on every station on the King George Island. Probably, these polluters (the main one – vanadium) accumulate somewhere near DPP and don’t reach water objects”, - tells head of the laboratory of Institute of the North Industrial Ecology Problems of Kola Science Center of RAS, PhD Zakhar Slukovskii.
The material is prepared with the financial support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science within the framework of the federal project "Popularization of science and technology".
RSS